Letter to Sangha and Supporters - June 2017

From: Eshu Osho, Zenwest Board, and members of the Zenwest
strategic planning group

Dear friends and supporters of Zenwest,

In our global community, locally, and within our Sangha, the
past 3 years have been filled with change. We are writing to talk
with you about the changes we have been discussing over the past
eight months as part of the 2017 strategic planning process.

Some of you are already familiar with Zenwest’s current model,
while for others this is new information. To ensure that everyone
has access to the background information to help you understand the
history and context for our proposed changes, we have included as
an appendix to this letter an overview of the developments in
Zenwest that led to the current model, written by Eshu Osho who
provides his perspective from 22 years of practicing with Zenwest
and 13 years as Abbot.

The model that Zenwest has been operating under since 2005
served Zenwest well for many years. Unfortunately, as a result of
multiple factors (discussed in detail in the Appendix) we have come
to the difficult conclusion that under the current circumstances
the strategic model we have been running is not sustainable, and
Zenwest needs to make significant changes going forward.

Our collective recommendation is that Zenwest undergo a
transition over the next 12 months to:

(a) gradually phase out financial compensation for Eshu
Osho,

(b) undertake a review of all aspects of our programming,
and

(c) engage in deep community discussions to determine how to go
forward in revitalizing and renewing our community.

These are very significant, serious changes that we are
suggesting and we need to know whether the sangha is supportive of
this proposed direction.

We want to be clear that the recommendation to end Eshu Osho’s
employment with Zenwest is in no way a comment on Eshu’s
performance as Abbot. Rather it is a reflection that our membership
has shrunk (as discussed in the Appendix) and it is no longer
financially sustainable to support a paid position.

Throughout the extended and at times painful discussions that
led to this recommendation, we have held two core principles:
First, that we are responsible to treat all of the Zenwest
relationships with integrity and care. This includes the
relationships between Zenwest and Eshu Osho and the Martin family,
between sangha members, and relationships with external bodies such
as the University of Victoria Multifaith Services where we have a
chaplaincy. Second, we all remain committed to Zen practice and
creating spaces for people to practice in community. However, it is
unclear at this time what that might look like. We see the need to
create space for organizational transformation, where we
individually and collectively deeply consider what we want to do,
what brings us joy, and how we want to practice.

What we are proposing for the next year is a three-phase
transition.

Phase 1: June-September 2017

Eshu Osho continue to work 0.4 FTE at Zenwest (the current
arrangement). All Sunday and Tuesday practice opportunities remain
the same. Begin community discussions about the future of
Zenwest.

Phase 2: October 2017-March 2018

Eliminate cash salary from Eshu Osho’s compensation arrangement.
Zenwest will continue to provide a residence and amenities to the
Abbot and his family at the temple in Sooke as compensation for
Eshu’s continuing work (hours to be negotiated between Eshu and the
Zenwest Board). Sunday and Tuesday sits will continue. Continue
community discussions about the future of Zenwest.

Phase 3: April-June 2018

All compensation will be eliminated from the relationship
between Eshu Osho and Zenwest, and Eshu Osho will cease to be an
employee of Zenwest Buddhist Society. This is conceptualized as a
“pause” to allow our sangha and Eshu to reflect and consider what
we want going forward. It is not yet clear what member-led practice
opportunities might continue to be available during this time, this
will depend in part on the community discussions in earlier
phases.

It is our hope that this staged withdrawal arrangement will
allow both Eshu Osho and the members and board of Zenwest Buddhist
Society time to explore, plan, and prepare financially and
organizationally for what will be a major transformation of how the
future of Zenwest will unfold.

Further, it is our hope that this staged arrangement will
alleviate the financial demands of Zenwest without creating
catastrophic financial hardship for Eshu Osho and his family; Eshu
has been employed and served our Sangha as our Abbot and teacher
for the past 13 years, and his family has been very generous in
sharing their home space as a temple.

The direction set out above can only be undertaken if members,
associates, patrons and donors are willing to support this
transition, both in principle and financially. It is our intention
to continue to provide practice opportunities until April 2018 and
we hope that members and associates will remain actively engaged in
Zenwest and continue to provide financial support through dues in
this period. We will also need to continue to hold quarterly
fundraising drives in addition to dues, to allow for a gradual
transition for Eshu Osho and his family. At this time we anticipate
that the fundraising targets will be $6,000 in June, $5,500 in
September, and $2,550 in December. Fundraising after this time
depends on what the community decides to do together.

Although we don't yet know what form this will take, we are
clear that we want to continue to practice Zen in community. To
determine what this will look like requires our collective wisdom
and creativity. As you have been a participant and contributor to
this community, we would like to extend an invitation to you to
participate in the conversation and exploration of how Zenwest will
be moving forward into the future.

To facilitate these discussions, and also give an opportunity
for people to ask questions and talk about this letter, we will be
holding in-person and online meetings, including the following:

An in-person member get-together Wednesday June 28, hosted by
Kozan, Seishin, and Yushin. This will kick off a series of monthly
potlucks open to anyone interested in the future of Zenwest who
wants to share ideas in community.

One-to-one video chat between Eshu Osho and Distance
members.

An online Zoom meeting open to all associates, and people who
have completed the online Orientation course, facilitated by Eshu
Osho.

A facilitated discussion at the Tuesday night Zen open house,
coordinated by Rev. Soshin.

Additionally, members, associates, and supporters can email Eshu
Osho or any of the Board members or other Strategic Planning
participants to discuss this letter and clarify any issues of
concern. Contact information is included below.

We very much value and appreciate your support, and look forward
to hearing your ideas and comments.

In 2004, a strategic planning group that included the Zenwest
board of directors, a group of members who had committed to being a
part of the planning process, and the Zenwest Abbot together
created a plan and vision for how Zenwest would grow into the
future - and out of this plan and vision, a model was created.

Two key features of this plan were:

Maintenance of a stable and consistent practice space
appropriate for all levels of Zen training.

The full-time employment of Abbot and teacher Eshu Osho.

We believed that the best way to ensure the stability of the
community, its programs, and the consistency of teaching was by
employing a skilled professional who can have these goals as their
primary focus, and having an appropriate place to do Zen
practice.

This planning group also fully recognized that the costs of
committing to supporting a full-time employee and practice space
were significant, and several models of membership were suggested
and considered, such as:

A straightforward business model in which the cost of
membership was based on the expenses divided by the
membership.

A donor model, in which there are no membership dues, but
rather we would ask for donations and hope that enough came it to
pay for expenses.

As a group we felt that the first model would likely be more
exclusive than we wanted, with a membership in the neighbourhood of
$200+/mo; which would put it way out of range of some that would
greatly benefit from Zen practice.

Conversely, the instability and insecurity inherent in the
second model would likely make basic survival a monthly worry and
would be a distraction from practice and development.

In the end, together we created a community-centred model for
Zenwest Buddhist Society. We would offer different levels of
membership from “Full” (with dues representing a single full share
of the cost of the resources and opportunities available), to
“Basic” (with dues being non-trivial, but significantly
less than a full share of the actual cost of the resources and
opportunities available).

Full members would have access to all activities, and Basic
Members would be required to pay for activities and opportunities
outside of basic sits.

Beyond this, we made provisions to accommodate those who
experienced financial hardship, as well as opportunities for
work-exchange for membership.

From the outset, we recognized that by initiating this model,
membership dues alone would not fully cover expenses; we committed
to doing regular fundraising drives based on the belief that:

Our teacher, our tradition, and our practice are not
commodities for us to purchase, but rather a symbiotic culture in
which each of us has a part to contribute and accept responsibility
for in the co-creation of community.

All of our members recognize the value of the teacher,
community, and physical resources that we have in place.

All members recognize that by making membership accessible to
everyone regardless of financial ability to pay that membership
dues alone would not cover organizational expenses.

Thus when quarterly fundraising drives take place, all members
will contribute as much as they can (even if they felt it was
insignificant in the grand scheme), based on the understanding that
we are co-creating this community – together.

Our basic philosophy setting out was that we would take care of
and support one another – as a community.

Our understanding was that some of us struggle to make ends meet
financially, but could offer our time and energy to building and
nourishing the community, supporting programming etc.

Others among us have greater financial resources, and less time,
yet are committed to giving more financially so that this
tradition, practice, and resources can be available locally to as
many people as is possible.

Some of us have both material resources and an
abundance of time to commit to making Zen come alive at Zenwest;
and some of us are working full speed ahead just to keep food on
the table and a roof over our heads; and underlying all of this, we
recognized that for each of us, our circumstances can change with
very little notice, and that by creating community together we
could create a community of awakening and refuge.

As I take the time to write this down, I realize how ambitious
this model is; how countercultural and almost revolutionary it is
in the context of North American culture today. I also have to
accept responsibility for not championing it strongly enough.

Where we are today:

For more than a decade, our model helped Zenwest to grow, and
for the training and teaching that happens here to become known
around the world. The efforts of our board of directors in the
development of organizational structures, policies and procedures
for Zen Centres in North America have been adopted or have
contributed to other Zen organizations around the world. Our use of
orientation education, online resources, podcasts, and videos (once
thought almost heretical) has become the norm in modern Dharma
practice globally. Zenwest and Eshu Osho have become recognized and
respected by Zen communities and teachers internationally.

Somehow though, as a community we lost sight of the
interdependence and mutual responsibility that was inherent and
intentionally built into the model.

Perhaps because of the consistency of our programming, or the
stability of the teaching, or my own failure to press this
principle; it seems that complacency was born into the mix.

Growth of the membership is only beneficial if all three aspects
grow together – member dues, volunteer labour, and distribution of
donations from members – because more members also
increases financial demands as well as labour demands. When the
membership did grow at Zenwest, it was in only one
area: member dues. Impact and the feeling of member ownership
was not emphasized, and certainly participation in fundraising was
not emphasized to new members, and perhaps this was a major
mistake. Regardless, the fundamental model is one in which costs –
both operational and labour are not covered by dues, therefore no
amount of growth will alter that balance.

While our membership was growing, fundraising drives were still
a significant component of meeting expenses. Over time, while the
donor pool has diversified thanks to international podcast
listeners supporting Zenwest, fewer individual members are making
contributions, in terms of finances as well as participation in
operational teams, facilitating activities, and board
involvement.

Perhaps members have felt like everything was well in hand, or
that their participation wasn’t needed, or that they were already
contributing as much as they possibly could. It’s impossible to
say, and was perhaps “all of the above”.

Practically, it meant that expenses and programming needed to be
cut, and that a diminishing group of members and donors were
contributing more and more so that our endeavour could continue to
be available to as many people as possible.

By late 2015 it was clear to our Board of Directors and Abbot
that many of our key financial and labour contributors were rapidly
reaching the point of complete exhaustion.

In terms of our budget, virtually all programs and resources
that could be cut from the budget had been cut. Even so, our
fundraising drives were falling short of the targets. After some
very challenging discussions, the Board and Abbot decided that the
only viable way forward was to reduce human resource expenses,
namely the Abbot’s salary.

Fortunately I was able to find external part-time employment at
Victoria Hospice relatively quickly. The downside was that many of
the operational and organizational tasks that were formerly
performed by the Abbot and Director of Operations had to be
delegated to others; others who were already overloaded and weren’t
familiar with the tasks, so needed time to learn and time to
develop. This had significant impacts on new membership growth, and
membership retention. In short, while our expenses were
significantly reduced, our membership revenue diminished apace.

In spite of this, since the switch to a part-time Abbot, Zenwest
has managed to continue to offer consistent programming. Our spring
2017 Orientation to Zen led by Rev. Doshu in Victoria was well
attended, and more than 20 individuals participated in the recent
NRTP with leadership shared by all ordained clergy. However, on top
of being unbelievably stretched, each member of the Zenwest clergy
and governance team are facing significant personal challenges that
eliminate the option of doing more, even where there is a desire or
capacity to do so.

Zenwest Buddhist Society is entering a period of significant
change and a re-imagining of who we are, and how we are to proceed
in the future. Most of all I want to reassure all of our members
that my dedication to Rinzai Zen practice and the Buddhadharma
remain as strong as ever. Regardless of where this transition takes
us as an organization, I will continue to practice and teach the
Dharma to those who wish to make Zen come alive.

Warm regards,

Eshu

About the Podcast

Zen talks by Kosen Eshu Martin, Osho: Abbot of the Zenwest Buddhist Society in BC, Canada
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www.zenwest.ca